bark and bite
by LazyBee
Summary: A few decades later, he's going to look back on tonight and think 'wow, that was one of the stupidest things I ever did'. (noncest RinxLen)


**Author's Note:** Oh look, another thing that most certainly isn't a new TBoY chapter. I _was_ looking around in my documents for it though, when I came across this half-finished thing at 4:00 am, laughed at how ridiculously clichéd it was, then decided to finish it because why not. But then finishing it took a while... I don't even know why I started it. I mean c'mon, me, writing noncest RinxLen? Unheard of!

Also, my summer didn't go the way I thought it would (I kind of ended up translating the High Speed! light novel instead of writing my own story, oops) (and now I'm thinking of translating the Suki Kirai novel if only I could find raws), so I don't know if I'll have time for writing anything with classes again... I will try though!

And sorry in advance for... everything about this. I no longer have any idea what's going on with 'my writing style'. This is just all very-very self-indulgent, lol. Anyways, I still hope you all enjoy it a little at least!

* * *

"You aren't chickening out, are you, Len?" Kaito teased, nudging his friend's arm with his elbow.

"Are you kidding me? No way dude, I've totally got this," Len replied, trying to sound as confident as possible. _I'm no chicken; quite far from it, actually. The shivers running down my spine? Oh, that's just from the chilly autumn wind blowing through the alley, of course. I forgot to bring a warm jacket, that's all it is. _

They stood in front of a run-down factory building that housed a club called Nyctophile in its basement. It was a shady place in a shady neighbourhood: not exactly his number one option for spending a Friday night if he wanted to see the sun rise the next day in one piece.

_A few decades later, I'm going to look back on tonight and think 'wow, that was one of the stupidest things I ever did'. Of all the places in this gigantic city, he had to bring me _here._ But I can't start complaining now... Besides, the chances of tonight going horribly wrong are fifty-fifty: either it will or it won't. It can't be that hard to do what I need to, right? I'll be out of there before I can even get myself into any sort of trouble._

"Okay, let's go," Kaito announced, bumping Len's shoulder with his fist. He headed towards the door of the club and Len followed closely behind.

As expected, Kaito passed by the security guard with a casual greeting, while a firm hand landed on Len's shoulder as he attempted to do the same._ Hopefully it's only about my dashingly youthful looks._

"Aren't you a little too young to be going in there, kiddo?" the man asked, his tone full of suspicion. "This isn't a place for your big bro to babysit you."

"Um, no, he's not my brother, sir. We're both in college. Here, I'll show you my ID," he explained, trying to sound composed while he pulled it out from his wallet.

The guard took it from his hand and examined it with thorough care, comparing his face with the photo and raising his eyebrows when he saw the birth date. Len felt his palms getting sweatier with each second that passed until he finally gave it back to him. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Kaito standing a few steps ahead and his body lightly shaking as he snickered under his breath.

"Alright kiddo, you're good to go," the security guard said, slightly nodding his head. Muttering a thanks, Len passed by him and joined up with Kaito.

They started walking down the stairway leading to the dance floor. As soon as they were out of earshot from the guard, Kaito burst out laughing.

"Don't you dare say a word," Len warned him, adding emphasis with a menacing glare. "I swear I'll rip your throat out in your sleep."

_I probably won't, anyways. Scrubbing away the evidence takes too much effort. It's the 21st century, yet there's still no easy way to get blood out of most fabrics. _

"No offense, dude, but that's never going to be not funny," he said with a lopsided smile, his laughs subsiding as he patted his shoulder in what was probably supposed to be a consoling gesture. With a displeased grunt, Len turned his head away from him.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and walked towards the end of the corridor. The heavy beats of the music playing inside seeped out through the large metal double-door.

"Shorties first." Kaito pulled it open and gestured for him to go ahead with a flourish of his hand. Len 'accidentally' stepped on his foot as he walked in.

It was exactly the way you'd imagine it to be on a Friday night: personal space disappeared in the crowd of sweaty bodies writhing to the beat, the tinted lights keeping them shrouded in darkness and the mixture of dank smells replacing oxygen.

"I don't need you hovering around me while I do my thing, so let's split up," Len suggested right away.

"Well, if you insist. I wouldn't want you blaming it on me when you lose the bet," Kaito agreed to it with just the slightest hint of hesitation in his tone. "Call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, sure. Catch you around later," he said, giving a small nod.

They parted ways. Kaito disappeared towards the center of the crowd while Len weaved between the people near the edges to reach the bar. _First things first, I gotta loosen myself up with a little bit of liquid courage. _

He took a seat on one of the empty stools off to the side and randomly ordered something that didn't sound too nasty and wasn't going to burn a hole in his already mostly empty wallet. Slowly sipping his drink, he angled his body towards the mass of people to scope out the scene for the night.

_It's like a rainbow threw up in here._ _All sorts of people dressed in all sorts of clothes according to all sorts of fashion senses. Nyctophile attracts the most peculiar of boys and girls from the city, a bright light enticing the moths to fly closer. Well, a reverse-light, since the dim lighting on the dance floor makes it hard to see anything clearly that's farther than a few meters away, unless you're used to it. And they're certainly not as bland as moths. Yeah, this metaphor isn't working out right. Wow, alcohol sure works fast. It wasn't such a good idea to skip dinner after all._

Suddenly, a girl with short blonde hair settled down on the stool right beside his, even though there were a few more empty ones so it wasn't actually necessary for her to be so close. On instinct, he gave her a quick look-over. Black booty shorts and a black corset top adorned with golden lace accentuated her petite figure. A white ribbon sat atop her head and ornate hair pins kept her fringe parted. He would've easily mistaken her for a porcelain doll under different circumstances.

"What's a little puppy like you doing here?" she asked, her tone accusing yet curious while she smothered him with her fierce gaze. Her peculiar scent reached his nose, making it scrunch up in disgust as he recognized it. _Well, shit. So much for staying out of trouble._

"It's a long story. And it wasn't really my choice. Look, I'll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine. I swear I don't want to cause a fuss," he tried summarising the situation for her in a calm tone, making sure to keep eye contact. _Eyes are the windows to a person's soul, right? She should at least be able to see mine, even if I can't see hers._ "Believe me when I say that I'm not exactly thrilled to be here."

_Right, some of the guests here certainly aren't moths: they're part-time bats. And part-time wolves like me don't really get along well with them. _

"And I'm supposed to believe you just like that, huh? Fat chance," she retorted, smirking at him as she crossed her arms.

"What, you're gonna babysit me?" he snapped back, leaning forward on the chair a little. _Huh, funny, that sounds familiar._

"Doggy-sit would be more accurate, don't you think?" she tilted her head to the side, batting her eyelashes.

"Surely a pretty girl like you has better things to do than to hound an innocent boy just trying to enjoy himself a little, no?" _Did I just actually say 'hound'. Damn, that was a shitty pun. Or double-entendre. Whatever. The point is that it was shitty. She started it with doggy-sit._

"Oh please, I bet there isn't a single bone that's innocent in your body. And flattery won't get you anywhere, mutt." Acting all high and mighty, she rolled her eyes. "Tell me what you're here for and if I decide that you're not a threat, I'll leave you alone."

_If anyone's a threat here, it's her, not me. How can I answer that? There's no way that I can flat-out tell her the truth. I'll be dead before I could even blink._

The girl ordered a fancy cocktail – with a snazzy umbrella, of course – for herself while Len mulled over his reply.

"Well?" she prompted him as she raised the glass to her lips to take her first sip. She kept her gaze on him above the edge of it.

"Um, the truth is, that I, uh, can't exactly just... tell you. Like I said, long story. And complicated. So complicated. Long... and complicated... and boring... You'll be sitting here, wasting away your entire night, listening to me ramble on and on about my pathetic yet overly complicated life. Is that what you want?" He hoped that such a longwinded response, complete with unnecessarily wide gestures, would discourage her. He took a few sips of his own drink after he finished.

"Yeah, that's not suspicious at aaall," she scoffed, rolling her eyes again. "Seriously, just spill it before I lose my patience."

"You really won't leave me alone until I do, huh?"

"You're a bit slow on the uptake, aren't you?"

_There's just no getting around this... at this rate, I won't even be able to approach anyone else. I can withstand a few punches if that'll get her out of my hair for the rest of the night. _

"Okay, fine. If you really, truly, honestly, insist. I'm here on a stupid bet, okay? I gotta get a girl's number by the end of the night. My friend said I couldn't do it... with my... baby face and... scrawny butt," he explained it as simply as possible, his voice lowering to a whisper for the last few words as he sheepishly looked away from the girl.

It all started when they had been making idle conversation in their dorm room. Somehow, it had turned into Kaito taunting Len about how he can't even get a girl's number, much less an actual girlfriend. So they made the bet: they head out to a club and Len has to get a girl's number before the place closes for the night. He'd pay double if he even managed to kiss her. Triple, if by some miracle, things go farther than that in one night. Len had to really try his best to suppress his laughter at that last one. He _does_ have a realistic sense of self.

Len downed the rest of his drink in one go. The alcohol burned his throat on the way down, making him almost cough his lungs out.

Throwing her head back, her laughter was equally mocking and full of amusement. He couldn't tell whether it was over his confession or his lack of ability to drink properly.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, once her laughs settled. "First of all, your friend's right. Second, that is the stupidest thing to come _here_ for. Third, your friend's right." She counted off the points on her fingers.

"Sheesh, you didn't have to say it twice! I know, okay? I know. So you can go away now." He made a vague shooing motion towards her.

"Rude. What do you think the chances are of you even holding a conversation with another girl, much less getting her number? I don't think you can afford sending away a potential candidate." This time, she was the one leaning towards him as a playful grin graced her lips.

_Wait, what? She was totally defensive until about a minute ago. And now she's...?_

"Are you saying you'll give me yours?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, tilting his body back. _Is this really happening?_

"Woah woah woah, slow down, doggy. You'll have to buy me a drink first. Or two. You're not very good at this 'picking up girls' thing, are you? Well of course you aren't, you wouldn't be making idiotic bets otherwise." She finished off her teasing with giggles, clearly enjoying his predicament.

_What the hell. I did not see this coming, at all. Do I legit have a chance with her or...? Gotta keep in mind to not involve myself with vampires again. They're a batshit-crazy bunch. _

"Not to mention, you haven't even asked my name yet. That'll make putting my number in your phone a tad difficult, don't you think?"

"Nah, I'd just write it in as 'insane vampire chick'."

"Says the wolf boy with a death wish, planning to hit on girls on vamp turf. I'd say that makes you the insane one here."

"Because fraternizing with the enemy is the epitome of sane."

"Ohhhh, you've sure got spunk, kid."

"Len."

"Huh?"

"My name's Len. Don't call me 'kid'. We're practically the same age. Unless you're actually like, several hundred years old."

"Aw hell no! I'm still a young maiden, thank you very much. Well, I suppose you can call me Rin."

They kept their semi-flirty, semi-teasing banter going and emptied a few more glasses of various alcoholic beverages along the way. They gradually softened up around the edges, their conversation turning quite friendly. They acted less like mortal enemies and more like two people simply having fun in each other's presence. The distance between their stools lessened until they sat facing each other, their knees touching as they shared laughs.

All of a sudden, Rin jumped out of her seat and grabbed Len by the wrist to pull him up as well. "Ahh, this is my favourite song! You have to dance with me to it!"

Len could swear her face lit up with the brightness of a thousand suns. He couldn't say no to that, so he just nodded and let her drag him towards the crowd. Walking straight was beyond their capabilities by that point, but they managed to get through the mass of people to a nice spot on the dance floor.

Rin sang along with the lyrics as she moved her body to the beat. Every movement had an ethereal elegance paired with an explosive dynamism to it. Len couldn't tear his eyes away from her while he tried to keep up and match her pace.

After some time, her slender arms wound around his neck, pulling herself close to him. Even after all that dancing around, her touch was ice cold. He didn't dare lay a finger on her.

_She's still a vampire and I'm still a werewolf. But..._

Len felt a weird, squishy feeling bubbling up in his stomach.

And then he extracted himself from her hold so he could dash off towards the toilets, because that squishy feeling was making its way up and out of his stomach.

He emptied its contents, leaving behind only regret and shame in its place. He drank a few huge gulps of cold water from the tap and splashed some of it on his face. He was still feeling a bit woozy, but definitely better than before.

Even though he wanted to go back to Rin, he wasn't ready yet to mix in with the crowd again. To his relief, she was leaning against the wall by the restroom door when he stepped out, obviously waiting for him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine worry.

"I'm fine now, I guess," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head with one hand.

"Wanna go out and get some fresh air?" she suggested, taking his other hand in hers and entwining their fingers.

"Yeah, that'd help," he agreed with a nod.

Firmly holding onto his hand, she guided him across the dance floor towards a back exit instead of the main entrance. He didn't even bother questioning her about it.

The back exit opened onto a corridor much like the one he arrived through, except that it wasn't very well-lit and had too many couples making out every few metres. Eventually they reached the stairs and made it out onto a small alley behind the factory.

The only source of light was a small lamp above the factory's door, the rest of the alley was covered in shadows. They sat down on the edge of the sidewalk a short distance away.

Len took deep breaths of the cool night air, grateful for the breeze that blew through the deserted alley. Rin leaned against his shoulder without a word, still not letting go of his hand. The silence felt right; they didn't need to fill it with unnecessary words.

The peacefulness of the moment was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps and rough shouting. It wasn't until they got close to the pair that they could pick out the figures of three grown men stumbling towards them.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? A li'l doggy playing where he shouldn't be," the one in the middle leered at Len, standing a few steps away from where they were sitting. The breeze that was so refreshing a moment ago had betrayed him, diffusing his scent.

_Well shit. I'm definitely in trouble now._

"Fuck off," Rin spat out before he could speak up, directing her fiery gaze at the man.

"Ohhh don't be like that, sweetie. We're both on the same side, aren't we? So let's show this mutt his place," he tried appeasing to her. "He's practically asking for it, coming 'round these parts."

"I said, fuck off," she raised her voice to a half-shout as she got to her feet, letting go of Len's hand. He stared up at her with a worried expression.

"Whaaat? Don't tell me you're standing up for this thing!" the man yelled, throwing his arms in the air. "Just stay outta this, girlie, and let us have our fun."

The man balled up his fist, getting ready to punch Len. She grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm backwards. He yelped in pain as he tried to wrench his arm out of her hold. The two cronies, who had hung back until now, started to circle around Rin.

The three men lunged at her simultaneously but she managed to outmaneuver them. The drinks she had earlier during the night had an effect on her reflexes, but she was still much faster than her aggressors, since they were even more sluggish with their movements.

Len merely sat and watched as the fight unfolded before his eyes. Rin dealt out punches and kicks with expertise. Her moves held the same finesse as her dancing, as if she was hearing a melody in her head while she beat them to a pulp. Her defense had some gaps in it, but their attacks didn't slow her down.

Rin scoffed triumphantly, glancing over the unconscious bodies she had scattered throughout the alley. She turned around to look at Len, wearing a smug grin on her face and several bruises all over her body. She took a confident step ahead, but it turned into a stumble. He scampered towards her and caught her in his arms before her legs stopped supporting her weight. _Even after a heated scuffle like that, she's still as cold as that one package of freezer food that somehow slipped into the back and it's been there for a decade now and will probably stay there for a few decades more. _

She nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck, tickling his skin with her breath. _Now that's hot; in every sense of the word._ His body stiffened up from her sudden display of affection. _Sure, throughout the night it seemed like things were going to turn touchy-feely, but that was before she went and got herself beaten up_. And then she licked the spot where his jugular vein was located. _So that's why she turned friendly. I'm just going to be her evening snack. _

"Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice under control. _No big deal, it's not like becoming vampire food is a huge disgrace in the werewolf community or anything. It'll be bad enough when they smell her on me but there's no way I can lie my way out of bite marks._ He staggered backwards, until he reached the wall and slumped down against it.

"Listening to survival instincts," she murmured against his neck, giving it another lick as she squirmed around to make herself comfortable in his lap. "I saved your ass, this is the least you can do in exchange_." I admit, she has a point there. I just hung back and watched like the coward I undoubtedly am._

With no actual warning whatsoever, her razor-sharp fangs pierced his skin, the crimson trickle flowing into her mouth. At that moment, an uncanny sense of tranquility came over Len and he slid his hands down her sides to rest on her hips. _Freaky vampire shit, calming me into submission when I should be absconding the fuck away from her._ Between the steady rhythm of her gulps and the slow caresses of her fingers on his neck and back, he could feel her body trembling against his from the exhaustion.

_Maybe this isn't half bad. Maybe it's kind of nice, being so close with another person. Maybe she doesn't chat up all her dinners. Maybe these touches have a little bit of emotion in them. Maybe I should stop thinking while my mind is up on cloud nine._

_Uh oh, she's starting to make noises. Pretty suggestive noises, especially considering our current position and that we're in a dark, deserted alley in the middle of the night._ He let his fingers lazily draw little circles over her hip bones poking out above the edge of her shorts.

Rin didn't seem to notice, so he let his touches wander around her waist, gradually reaching her lower back, staying above her booty shorts. Her body winced away on a reflex and at the same time, she bit deeper into his neck. _I must've accidentally grazed over one of her bruises. _After one last huge gulp, she detached her mouth from his neck.

"Wow, you taste awful," she bluntly stated. She wiped away the stray droplets of blood on her mouth with the back of her hand, then darted her tongue out to lick it off. She kept her eyes locked with his all along, her clouded gaze entrancing his. _Damn, that's kind of sexy. This is not good._

"Well _excuse_ _me_ for not being grade-A vampire dinner. And then why did you drink so much?!" he retorted, putting what little energy he had left into his tone. _Where did the affectionate Rin go? Can she come back, please? Or did that only last until she had her fill? _

"You'd eat whatever scraps you found lying around if you were hungry enough, right? Same thing. I'm hungry, you're food," she explained it like it was the most logical thing in the world.

She began leaning forward to bite into his neck again, but he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Rin, shouldn't we um, go elsewhere?" he offered, his voice faltering.

"You seriously think I'd waltz straight into a wolf den?" she snapped back, acting just as defensive as she had at the start of the evening.

"No! I don't even live with them yet. Because of, uh, reasons." He averted his eyes as he spoke. He dropped his hand, making sure to keep it off her body this time.

"Then, do you mean that you're willing to crash at a vampire's place?" she asked, her voice brimming with suspicion.

_No, really, did she forget about all the time we just spent together? Why the hostility again? Did she 'suddenly' recall that I'm a werewolf and she's a vampire so we shouldn't be like this?_

"Uhhh, I guess, yeah? If I have to choose between being dinner in an alley or being dinner on a much softer surface, like a sofa, or heck, even the carpet, I would pick the latter," he replied, keeping his voice casual, like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Fucking hell, you're crazy. I mean, not that it wasn't obvious after you walked into a club well-known for being a vampire hangout out of your own free will, but... Seriously? _Offering_ to come home with me? I don't get you at all," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

She slumped forward, leaning her head against his collarbone as she let out a sigh. The silence returned between them, with a certain tension to it now. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he wasn't brave enough for that.

After a few minutes, Rin sat up and clambered out of his lap. "Fine. Let's go to my place."

Len got to his feet, dusting off his pants. "Okay. Lead the way."

She took his hand again and laced their fingers together as they started walking out of the alley. The tension dissipated as abruptly as it had appeared. _Alright, I give up. I have no idea what's going through her mind. One second she's all snippy, the next she's totally docile. Whatever. I guess I'll just enjoy this while it lasts._

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, signalling an incoming message. He pulled it out with his free hand and checked it.

**From:** Kaito  
yo dude where are you  
are you lying dead in a ditch somewhere

_Almost close enough. I might have been, if it weren't for Rin. _He quickly typed a reply to his friend.

**To:** Kaito  
dont worry im fine  
ill go home later

Afterwards, he turned off his phone. Kaito was probably going to misunderstand the implications of that text, but he didn't feel like dealing with his reaction at the moment.

_For now, I only want to memorize the sensation of her hand in mine. _

* * *

It took no longer than a half an hour walk for the pair to reach Rin's apartment building. They made the trip in silence. At first, Len tried looking around to familiarize himself with the neighbourhood. It was a lost cause, since his gaze always ended up back on Rin. She seemed to be deep in thought as she kept her eyes trained on the ground in front of her feet. Occasionally, she squeezed his hand; he didn't know what to make of the gesture.

When they reached Rin's apartment, all the way up on the top floor of the 10-story building, she guided him straight towards her bedroom after they took off their shoes. He caught a quick glimpse of the kitchen and the living room: both seemed barely used. He also took note of the bathroom's location in the corridor.

The bedroom had a much homelier feel to it. It was filled with shades of yellow and orange. Clothes were haphazardly scattered on the floor. The desk was a mess, except for the immediate vicinity of a laptop. _If I didn't know it was Rin's room, I would've never guessed a vampire lived in here. It fits her, though. _

Rin wordlessly took off her shorts and tossed them aside. As soon as Len realized that she was undressing, he let out high-pitched yelp and turned around. A moment later, her corset top flew past him. _What the hell?_ _She isn't possibly thinking of...?_

In just her bra and panties, she stepped behind him and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He was too surprised to object, so he let her pull it over his head. When her hands reached to undo his jeans, he gently curled his fingers around her wrist to stop her.

"Rin. What are you doing," he said in a deadpan tone in an attempt to mask his nerves. He turned around to look at her.

_Just keep looking at her face. Just her face. Not any lower. Not her shoulders. Not her collarbones. Not her... oh shit. I suck at self-restraint._ The sight of the bruises on her otherwise perfect skin made his stomach twist with guilt.

"You. Me. Bed. Sleep. Now." A flurry of drowsy blinks accompanied each word. She paid no attention to his wandering gaze.

"Weren't you going to uh... you know. Do the vampire thing," he reminded her.

"Sleep. Now." She let out a huge yawn. He couldn't help breaking into a tiny smile at the sight of it. _So cute._

"Yeah yeah okay, so I guess you're keeping me around for breakfast, too."

After a moment of hesitation, he took off his jeans; it would be too uncomfortable to sleep in them. Rin shuffled towards the queen-sized bed, dragging Len along. Once they had both climbed into her bed and covered themselves with a huge blanket, she snuggled up to him. He kept his hands to himself, but soon enough, Rin pulled his arms to wrap her in his embrace.

"Rin... is this really okay?" he whispered the question into her ear.

"Yeah. Ssshhhh," she answered in a soft voice, her eyes already closed.

He let out an exasperated sigh. _Why this. Why me. What am I doing, literally sleeping with a vampire?_

_...And why am I not that regretful about it?_

* * *

Len woke up to Rin stirring in his arms. She was squirming around and making adorable little noises. Very slowly, he opened his eyes. The late morning sunlight filtered in through the creamy curtains, giving the room a soft glow. Their gazes truly connected for the first time since they met.

"You have the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen." He couldn't see them properly at club or in the alley because of the bad lighting conditions, but now that he could look at them so clearly, they were absolutely stunning.

"Hey wait, shouldn't you have ultra-dark curtains or something?" he asked after giving it a second of thought.

"What? Of course not. Sure, direct sunlight is unpleasant, but regular morning sunshine through curtains is perfectly fine. I kind of like it, actually," she admitted with a soft smile. "And... thanks."

She closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. The shy contact lasted no more than a few seconds before she pulled back, leaving behind a tingling sensation. Once his mind got caught up to the events, his mouth stretched into wide grin. A pink tinge dusted Rin's cheeks as she smiled back at him. Neither of them could find the words to say for quite a while.

"Rin..." He searched for her hand beneath the blanket as he spoke.

"What?" She clasped their fingers together and gently squeezed his hand.

"Was that okay? Wasn't I supposed to be breakfast for you?" It was impossible for him to hide the unease in his tone.

"Does getting your blood sucked turn you on that much?" she asked with a mischievous smirk, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No! Nooooo no no. Nope. No way. Not at all. No," he vehemently objected to the claim. Whether it's actually true or not was a different matter. "I just– I'm really confused right now."

"Yeah... yeah. Me too, sorta. I don't really know what I'm doing either. I just felt like it," she told him, shrugging her shoulders. "Should I not have done that?"

"It just took me by surprise. But I... didn't mind," he blurted out, casting his eyes to the side.

"Good. Well, I'm gonna take a shower now, so, just stay here," she said as she fumbled out of bed. Len promptly closed his eyes. It already felt like he had seen too much last night.

It took her about 15 minutes to freshen up. While she was gone, he stayed in bed and deliberately avoided thinking about what he should do now.

When Rin came back, she kindly offered for him to use the shower as well, so he took her up on that. The later they have to deal with the elephant still in the room, the better.

"Wow, you really do have a scrawny butt," she commented as Len passed by her. He let it go with a grumble. _She probably wouldn't take it too well if I told her that technically, she wouldn't even need to wear a bra beneath baggy clothes._

After he was finished with his shower, the scent of freshly-brewed coffee wafted through the air from the kitchen, so he went there instead of back to the bedroom. Rin was already sitting at the table and sipping hers. Another mug waited on the table for Len, in the seat across from her. He thanked her and sat down. They chatted a bit while they drank their coffee, still avoiding the larger issue at hand.

"I told my friend I wouldn't be going home last night, but I suppose he's getting worried by now. So I should... leave soon," Len breached the topic during a lull in their conversation, awkwardly scratching his cheek. "If you... don't need me here anymore. For the, uh, vampire thing."

Rin straightened up in her seat, with a distressed look in her eyes. "Yeah, no, it's fine. I'm fine. You don't have to. You can... go. If you want to."

_I don't want to. There's no way I could say that, though. _Len merely sighed and nodded his head, staring into the empty mug. _We can't._ _We don't belong together._

They both stood up from the table at the same time. She accompanied him to the door and watched as he put on his shoes.

She unlocked the door and opened it for him. He stepped outside, but stopped right past the doorstep. She tugged on the edge of his shirt and he turned around to face her. _Please, say something. _

"So, this is it?" she asked, keeping her tone even, trying to hide her emotions. Her clear blue eyes, wide and sincere, conveyed them in her stead.

"Well, you could give me your number."


End file.
